Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR) Physics: Acoustics and Ultrasound
Published

The future of touch      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Haptic holography promises to bring virtual reality to life, but a new study reveals a surprising physical obstacle that will need to be overcome.

Biology: Botany Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: General Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Ecology: Trees Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

Deforestation in the tropics linked to a reduction in rainfall      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Deforestation is resulting in reduced rainfall across large parts of the tropics, according to new research. People living in tropical forest communities have often complained that the climate gets hotter and drier once trees are cleared but until now, scientists have not been able to identify a clear link between the loss of tree cover and a decline in rainfall.

Biology: Marine Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Nature Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Seabirds in the eye of the storm      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Hurricanes are becoming more intense due to the climate crisis. Therefore, researchers have studied the wind speeds that different seabird species can withstand. The team was able to show that the individual species are well adapted to the average wind conditions in their breeding grounds, but use different strategies to avoid flying through the storm. Within their research, one behavior of the albatrosses particularly surprised the scientists.

Biology: Marine Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Sea Life
Published

Centuries of whaling data highlight likely climate change effect      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Centuries-old whaling records show how southern right whales are altering their feeding habits.

Biology: Evolutionary Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Nature Environmental: Biodiversity
Published

Better metric for prioritizing conservation of 'evolutionarily distinctive' species      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers have published an updated metric for prioritizing species' conservation that incorporates scientific uncertainty and complementarity between species, in addition to extinction risk and evolutionary distinctiveness.

Anthropology: General Biology: Evolutionary Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Nature Ecology: Sea Life Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

Jurassic shark: Shark from the Jurassic period was already highly evolved      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Cartilaginous fish have changed much more in the course of their evolutionary history than previously believed. Evidence for this thesis has been provided by new fossils of a ray-like shark, Protospinax annectans, which demonstrate that sharks were already highly evolved in the Late Jurassic.

Physics: Acoustics and Ultrasound
Published

Ultrasound device may offer new treatment option for hypertension      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new device that calms overactive kidney nerves with ultrasound consistently lowered blood pressure in patients with uncontrolled hypertension, researchers have found.

Ecology: Animals Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: General Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Environmental: Biodiversity Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Australia's rarest bird of prey disappearing at alarming rate      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Australia's rarest bird of prey -- the red goshawk -- is facing extinction, with Cape York Peninsula now the only place in Queensland known to support breeding populations.

Ecology: Extinction Environmental: Biodiversity
Published

Rare insect found in Arkansas sets historic record, prompts mystery      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A giant insect found in Arkansas has set historic records. The Polystoechotes punctata or giant lacewing is the first of its kind recorded in eastern North America in over 50 years. The giant lacewing was formerly widespread across North America, but was mysteriously extirpated from eastern North America by the 1950s. This discovery suggests there may be relic populations of this large insect yet to be discovered.

Biology: Marine Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

Sea urchin die-offs threaten Caribbean coral reefs      (via sciencedaily.com) 

The sustained loss of a once abundant species of sea urchin in the Caribbean could also result in the functional extinction of diverse coral species from the region's reefs, according to new research.

Ecology: Extinction Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals Paleontology: Dinosaurs Paleontology: General
Published

Dinosaur claws used for digging and display      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Dinosaur claws had many functions, but now a team has shown some predatory dinosaurs used their claws for digging or even for display.

Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction
Published

Certain frogs more sensitive to climate change, not protected      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Amphibians worldwide are affected by climate change and potentially one of the most threatened. Biologists found that some species of amphibians are more likely to be sensitive to climate change because they are not protected by state or federal regulations. The team determined that approximately 11 percent of anuran species are sensitive to climate change, but are not currently listed as at-risk either at the state, federal, or international levels.

Biology: Botany Biology: Evolutionary Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Invasive Species Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

The rediscovery of an ethereal fairy lantern brightly illuminates their mysterious past      (via sciencedaily.com) 

After more than 30 years, botanists have rediscovered Thismia kobensis, a type of mysterious-looking rare plant commonly referred to as 'fairy lanterns'. Thismia kobensis was presumed extinct and the surprise rediscovery of this Japanese variety has illuminated hidden aspects of fairy lanterns that have puzzled and fascinated botanists for centuries.

Physics: Acoustics and Ultrasound Physics: Optics
Published

Faster and sharper whole-body imaging of small animals with deep learning      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A research team presents technology that enhances photoacoustic computed tomography using a deep-learning approach.

Biology: Marine Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Oceanography
Published

Marine heatwaves decimate sea urchins, molluscs and more at Rottnest      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers believe rising sea temperatures are to blame for the plummeting number of invertebrates such as molluscs and sea urchins at Rottnest Island off Western Australia, with some species having declined by up to 90 per cent between 2007 and 2021.

Ecology: Extinction Paleontology: Dinosaurs Paleontology: General
Published

Evolution of dinosaur body size through different developmental mechanisms      (via sciencedaily.com) 

The meat-eating dinosaurs known as theropods that roamed the ancient Earth ranged in size from the bus-sized T. rex to the smaller, dog-sized Velociraptor. Scientists puzzling over how such wildly different dinosaur sizes evolved recently found -- to their surprise -- that smaller and larger theropod dinosaurs like these didn't necessarily get that way merely by growing slower or faster.

Biology: Evolutionary Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Biodiversity Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

A labyrinth lake provides surprising benefits for an endangered seal      (via sciencedaily.com) 

The endangered Saimaa ringed seal is an Ice Age relict living in the highly labyrinthine Lake Saimaa, Finland. The newly published work shows that although individual seals have greatly reduced genetic variation, the loss of variation has been complementary, preserving the adaptive potential of the whole population.

Ecology: Animals Ecology: Extinction
Published

Climate change, urbanization drive major declines in Los Angeles' birds in California, US      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Biologists use current and historical bird surveys to reveal how land use change has amplified -- and in some cases mitigated -- the impacts of climate change on bird populations in Los Angeles and the Central Valley over the past century. The study found that urbanization and much hotter and drier conditions in L.A. have driven declines in more than one-third of bird species in the region.